DEM-based directional statistical examination of linear features

escarpments is a commonly used method in structural morphologic
and structural geologic research.
The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between the
linear features by directional statistical analysis, and we also
examined the applicability of this method in a research area with a
complex geological structure. The study area was the Bükk
Mountains (NE Hungary) and its two catchment areas. The analysed
features (drainage network, lineaments and dominant aspect) were
derived from a DEM.
As a result of the research, we found that in the Sajó catchment, the
direction of lineaments does not coincide with the direction of the
valleys and structural elements, nor the dominant aspect, while in the
Tisza watershed, the orientation of the main structural features
notably differs from the direction of the other 3 feature sets.
In our opinion, this finding can be explained in three possible ways.
The first possibility is that the applied method does not provide
reliable results in a geologically complex area. The second
explanation is that regional structural processes may affect drainage
network evolution and the dominant aspect. The other explanation is
that there may have been unknown structural elements in the research
area, which affect the recent geomorphological settings and
processes.
The results draw attention to the fact that besides the unmapped
faults, there might be other factors affecting geomorphological
processes (e.g., resistance to denudation of different rock types,
microclimate), which have not been taken into account so far. The
research was based only on directional statistical examinations;
further geological and geophysical analyses are required to prove the
existence of these hypothetical morphotectonic features.